The Moroccan economy is creating more and more jobs
Unemployment is still below the psychological threshold of 10%. Indeed, according to the latest statistics from the High Commission for Planning (HCP), the past year ended with an unemployment rate of 9.1%. This is against a backdrop of a total employment volume that increased by 120,000 jobs compared to 2009. The HCP information note also specifies that this increase is the result of the creation of 69,000 jobs in urban areas and 51,000 in rural areas.
As for the breakdown of the unemployment rate, the same source indicates that it stood at just over 13% in cities, compared to almost 4% in rural areas. Regarding the distribution of jobs created by economic activity sectors, according to the statistics in circulation, it is the construction sector that created the most, which resulted, during the year in question, in a total figure of 63,000. This represents an increase of around 6.6% in the sector's employment volume. As for services, they led to the creation of 35,000 jobs. This is an increase of almost 1% compared to 2009. In the field of agriculture, forestry and fishing, 21,000 jobs were created.
This represents an increase of 0.5%. It should also be noted that, from a spatial point of view, all sectors, except agriculture, forestry and fishing, have created new jobs in urban areas. This is the case for construction with 37,000 jobs, an increase of 6.1%. But also services, with 31,000 jobs, a positive change of 1%. While industry, including crafts, only "gave birth" to 5,000 jobs. In rural areas, it is agriculture, forestry and fishing that unsurprisingly created the most jobs, with 27,000 jobs. Construction closely follows, with 26,000 jobs, while services created 4,000. These figures, it should be remembered, are the mark of a dynamic that is beyond reproach.
In fact, despite the collateral damage that the global crisis could have had on the productive fabric, and therefore on job creation, the Moroccan economy has been able to resist the shock waves. Even better, the growth target has been maintained and everything points towards optimism for the coming year. This dynamic is also related to the major projects currently underway, without losing sight of the importance of the various sectoral development plans that have been launched.
Published on February 4, 2011
Posted online on February 7, 2011
